The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Change
by rampaging-poet
Summary: Sequel to Lifesong Orb. Searching for answers, Link arrives in the faraway land of Vesomdel. However, when a mysterious force captures the Oracle of Change, he may well end up finding another adventure instead.
1. Prologue

_The sequel to Lifesong Orb has finally arrived! Actually, only the prologue is here at the moment. I'm not sure how often I'm going to be able to update this, as I will likely be performing in the school musical soon and I will definitely be starting a pert-time job next week._ _With any luck, I can get some more writte_n_ for you all soon._

_I've just got a few more things to say before you begin reading. First, the music is now in the form of the way to find it in my LoZ music index, which can be found in my scraps section on deviantART. Second, this story will likely be told as a series of smaller stories rather than one big long uber-narative that just happens to be split into chapters for convienice. Third, this prologue is more of a recap than a chapter. It should be enough to give people who haven't read Lifesong Orb enough of an idea to grasp the reasoning behind this story. And now, without further ado, let The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Change begin!_

* * *

**Prologue**

_The bell has been raised from its watery grave, do you hear its sepulchral tone? We call to all, pay head the squall and turn your sail toward home._

_Hans Zimmer, _Hoist the Colours

Music: VG Music, Oracle of Ages, Sad (Remix)

Within the Maku Tree of the faraway land of Vesomdel, a young woman sat behind a desk. She wore a dress the colour of maple leaves in the summer, and her hair was the same tint. The woman looked up, sighed, and continued her paperwork. Her boring job was to catalogue all manner of secrets, and then organize them by subject, number of people who knew, impact from negligible to world-shattering, and all manner of other things. At least there had been the occasional break from the monotony provided by the wandering hero when she had worked out of Holodrum and Labrynna, but alas, nobody ever came to visit her here. These circumstances almost made her wish she could go back to her old job, but it was too risky. She had far too many enemies to try and get back into her old business. She glanced up again, and was surprised to see a figure in a black cloak standing opposite her.

She began to introduce herself: "Uh, hello! I am-"

"The Oracle of Secrets." he said. He laughed, and then said, "A fitting disguise for one who holds such a secret herself."

Upon hearing the figure's voice, her face went deathly pale. "N-no, you can't be-"

"Oh, but I am. You thought you could hide from me. You were wrong. It took some doing, but I finally tracked you down. Hello Farore, Oracle of Change."

He reached out towards her face, and everything went black.

Music: OC Remix, Wind Waker, Ancient Hero

* * *

Ages past, atop the largest and mightiest of the world's timepieces, there stood a boy. He wore the green tunic associated with the heroes of legend, and his hair was of the same vibrant hue. Behind him, a gaping rift in the fabric of reality churned, the workings of the Mask of the Damned and a strange, white-haired man. That rift would be the gateway to the answers he needed: What had become of his mother? How was one as young as he to rule over his homeland? Had his father really conspired with the enemy that had nearly destroyed Termina twice in as many decades?

For most of his eleven years of life, he had lived with Anju and Kafei, friends his father had trusted more than even himself. He had known he was adopted, but they had not mentioned that he was the son of a great hero until his eleventh birthday. On that day, he was given his father's journals and a blade to call his own. It was also the day that Majora's Mask returned.

Obviously, the boy hadn't stood a chance against the powerful evil spirit. Transfigured into the form of a clockwork soldier, he had climbed the mighty Clocktower and stolen a magical ball of purest crystal from his foe. He carried this sphere, the Lifesong Orb, throughout his journey, losing it only once and quickly reclaiming it. Soon after obtaining it, he used its magic to reclaim his original form. However, he had not originally known exactly what the mysterious crystal was, and so took it to Randolf, the mighty mage of the observatory.

Not all had gone well on his trip to see the wizard, and he had been forced to seek aid from the Great Fairy of Clocktown. There, he had met Mythisper, the fairy who had been his constant companion throughout the adventures that followed. Together they had traveled across the land of Termina, uniting its peoples to fight against the darkness. Over the course of their travels, it became clear that the boy healed must faster than was normal for a human or even a Hylian such as his father. Later, when his hair shifted from its original yellow to its current shade of green, Mythisper turned her magic towards figuring out why. It then became apparent that his mother was none other than Navi, the fairy guide of the Hero of Time.

After months of work, he and Mythisper managed to cast away the dark power that had overwhelmed Termina. However, in so doing, further questions had been raised. Though Majora's Mask had been sent back to the void from whence it came, there was still another foe at large: the one who had returned the Mask of the Damned to power in the first place. This force, in the guise of an angel, had asked that Link, Hero of Termina, hand him the Lifesong Orb. However, his plans were apparently foiled when Majora's Mask scrambled the portal he had opened. Though it had been struck down almost immediately, the Mask had said that the man without pupils had defeated him twenty years ago – exactly the year when the Hero of Time had come to save the world from the Mask before.

No mention of the final battle between the hero and the Mask of the Damned was to be found in the journals of his father. While his adoptive parents had witnessed part of the clash, they had not followed him into the moon itself when Majora's Mask had entered it to try and overcome the Four Giants. The only person who might know was the Happy Mask Salesman, who was sworn to secrecy and would bring down the wrath of the mysterious foe should he speak so much as a word to anyone. That left only one thing to do: set out into the world to find the answers himself.

Link, Admiral-Queen of the Gerudo, Head of the United Races, and Hero of Termina, turned to the cosmic rift. He held forth an amulet of gold and purple corundum, enchanted by the Archmage of Clocktown to act as a key to the portal before him. As a green glow floated over the top of the Clocktower, he strode through.

"Link!" the cried the fairy, too late as the hero vanished into the unknown. Mythisper sank to the ground and kneeled. Her friend had left without her, his only goodbye a note that simply read, "I need to go. I'm sorry."

"Just… don't be gone forever…"

* * *

_Comment: Yeah, Link just basiccally did to Mythisper what Navi did to Link at the end of Ocarina of Time. It's mean, but necessary for TEH PLOT to unfold as I need it to._

_Also, the the Anju and Kafei seeing part of the final battle part is a bit of a comprimise between the Majora's Mask game and the Majora's Mask manga. In the game, they saw none of it, and it the manga, they saw all of it. As to how Link knows they saw it, he asked sometime between the end of Lifesong Orb and the time he somehow got to the top of the Clocktower before this started._

_Oh yeah, one last thing. Please don't tear my head off if I've credited the wrong person for the beginning of chapter quote. I don't know who wrote the words for Hoist the Colours, but I do know that Hans Zimmer composed the tune, so he get the credit._

_Slight Edit: I fixed a minor error in the first paragraph after the music begins._


	2. Quest

**Quest**

_And they say that a hero can save us, I'm not gonna stand here and wait. I hold on to the wings of the eagles, and watch as we all fly away._

_-Chad Kroeger, _Hero

Link found himself spinning, whirling, descending into the unknown. There was nothing around him save for blinding light, a great funnel woven of all the colours of the rainbow. After what seemed like ages, it stopped. After taking a minute to get his bearings and adjust to the existence of gravity, he began to walk. He walked through a great valley in the shadow of a great, black mountain. He walked through a great tunnel, carved centuries ago by a river that ran no more. Finally, he walked into the red light of the setting sun, and into the land of Vesomdel.

Music: Zelda Reorchestrated, Majora's Mask, The Final Hour

* * *

It came out of the rain. In the middle of the night, vast clouds gathered. Tired from their long journey, they dropped their burdens to the ground in a great deluge. As a hero awoke, a shadowy creature drifted into view. It stood nearly seven feet in height. Under its black cloak, it wore heavy plate armour forged of red and purple alloys. Most disconcerting of all was its head: a pale skull with wickedly curved horns and eyes of yellow flame.

Link had gotten to his feet as soon as he saw so much as its silhouette. When the being was close enough for him to make out more detail, he immediately drew the Sword of Storms and readied his Mirror Shield. Both stood appraising each other for a moment. Suddenly, the skull-faced creature leaned back and gasped. Link charged toward it, and it jumped into the air and began to fly. As the monster flew overhead, Link spun around and lashed out with his sword, sending a beam of magical energy toward his opponent. The being summoned a black trident to its hand and used the weapon to swat aside the sword beam.

Now, the fight was on. The skull-faced thing swung its trident at Link, and some form of orb was released. The boy dodged to the side and retaliated with a sword beam. After both combatants launched several ranged attacks to no avail, the armoured figure dived toward Link, trying to impale him on its weapon. He held his ground, grabbing his sword with both hands. As his opponent approached, he stepped forward with his left foot and threw all his weight behind a single overhand strike. The blow landed right between the tines of the trident, and the area was lit by a stunning light show as the electricity in the Sword of Storms fought the dark power of his foe's magical weapon.

After several painful seconds, the dark being was thrown backwards. It landed on the ground and skidded several metres, its weapon knocked off to the side. For a moment, it simply lay there. Then, just when it seemed the beast was dead, it began to laugh.

"Heh, heh, heh. cough Is that all you've got? I was certain that you could do better than that."

"There's more where that came from if you're still in the mood for a fight." said Link. "I've fought the vicious guardian treant of the Forbidden Palace, defeated the mighty Eye Tyrant of Snowhead Mountain, slain-"

"The Rakshasa and the Dracolich," interrupted the skull-faced creature, "and lead the armies of Termina in the great siege of Cocktown and brought light to the land by eliminating Majora's Mask."

The monster again summoned its trident to its side, continuing to speak as it rose into the air. "Yes, I know who you are. You are the Hero of Termina, son of the Hero of Time. I never thought our paths would cross. However, it seems that you have not heard of me, which is not acceptable. When your spirit leaves this world, you must know the name of the one who set it free of its prison of flesh."

Link raised his shield as his foe continued his monologue. "I am Phasmatis!" it proclaimed, "Spirit of vengeance and death! Lord of the void! The true King of Evil!"

Phasmatis pointed his trident directly at Link. A green glow surrounded the spirit's right hand. The glow suddenly ran down the length of the trident, becoming a black beam that passed straight through Link's armour and shield, striking him directly. After about five seconds, there was nothing but ash where the boy had stood.

Music: Overclocked Remix, A Link to the Past, A Hero's Legacy

* * *

Link sat bolt upright. It was morning. For a moment, he just sat there, breathing heavily. After a moment, he calmed down. The fact that he was breathing heavily implied that he was breathing at all, which meant he wasn't dead. Checking himself over, he found that he was completely unharmed, though something seemed to be a little bit… off. Looking around, he realised what it was: he had gone to sleep in his tent near a great tunnel, and he was currently outside in a forest clearing.

He immediately drew his sword and was much surprised to find that it was shorter than he had anticipated. Somehow, his Sword of Storms had become the Deku Blade from which it had been forged. His Mirror Shield had likewise lost its golden finish, returning to being a simple steel-plated round shield. Fortunately, the other gifts given to him by the Great Fairies of Termina were intact. A small rip in his tunic quickly repaired itself, proving that the cloth and the chain shirt under it would recover from any damage. It was also easy to confirm that he was still in possession of a D-bag, though everything that had been in it was missing.

Link took a seat on a stump at the edge of the clearing. When his bangs dropped into his face, he was not particularly surprised to find that his hair had changed from green back to its original yellow hue. Obviously, the fight with Phasmatis had been real and not a nightmare as he initially thought. However, what had happened when to get him here, with his magic mostly drained and his equipment missing or weakened? He thought back on the fight, going over every detail he could remember in his mind.

* * *

The creature that called itself Phasmatis had just raised its trident. It fired a beam of black magic at him. The beam had somehow passed through the enchanted Mirror Shield and struck him straight in the chest.

_One second: _Pain, spreading through his body. He tries to move, but can't.

_Twos seconds: _More pain, like his body is being ripped apart.

_Three seconds: _He sees a semi-transparent woman. Is she a spirit, or a hallucination? She reaches for his hand.

_Four seconds:_ She touches him. He feels some form of connection.

_Five seconds: _Everything pours out of the D-bag. The dark energy turns it to ash. Power is drained from him. Everything turns black.

* * *

Darkness. Numbness. Cold. A woman's voice:

"Find the Essences of Change."

He wakes up. A new quest begins.

* * *

_Comment: Oh noes! Link is a victim of the dreaded Reset Button and its sidekick, the Bag of Spilling! How can he possibly win now?_

_Well, I guess he can just go on another adventure and get some new stuff and whatnot_. _Now, to get writing while I'm still in the mood..._


	3. Beasts

**Beasts**

_Courage without conscience is a wild beast._

_-Robert Ingersoll_

The land of Vesomdel is nearly devoid of humanoid life. There are small pockets of inhabited land, but most of the area is infested by vicious monsters that would tear apart any who dare cross them. The various ruins scattered across the landscape indicate that things were not always this way. The remnants of cizilizations long departed hold great treasure, but only a fool would venture into the dark depths of the earth to find them. From the Blackspine Mountains to Uzumaki Bay, it is the beasts that rule.

Music: VG Music, Link's Awakening, Moblin's Den

* * *

The Moblins were everywhere. Whatever direction Link faced, there were more of them. Some had short bows, a scant few held a sword and shield, but most of them simply rushed at him with sticks and small knives. An arrow bounced off his shield as he spun and planted his blade into the groin of a foe behind him. The beast burst into heatless flames: a sure sign that it was not a real Moblin but a construct of magical energy that would repair itself in time.

Two more monsters rushed at him. Despite continued ranged assault, he lashed out with a recklessly wide swing, grazing them both across the torso. The Moblins recoiled, and he rolled forward between them just in time to avoid being struck with an arrow from their comrades. Ignoring the injured mooks, he charged toward the nearest knight. The beast raised its sword and shield in an amateur fighting stance. A low feint followed by a thrust to the throat was all it took to bring him down.

As more and more of his foes were slain, Link began to remember the tales he had heard as a small child. In them, the Moblins were a monstrous people that lived in the woods and ate anyone they saw. They were once men, but they were transformed into pig-like beasts as punishment for their greedy, gluttonous lifestyles. While the old stories had little to say on how to fight them (as the poor children wandering into the woods alone were almost invariably devoured), it had mentioned some key flaws of theirs: they were slow, fat things with little more intelligence than the hogs whose faces they shared.

Suddenly, the forest became quiet. The Moblins had withdrawn. Link warily continued in the general direction he had been heading before blundering into the monstrous patrol. For almost half a minute, everything was quiet. Then, a small grunt alerted him to the presence of another Moblin behind him. He turned, and saw something completely unexpected: the monster, dressed in a loose, open-faced coat of feathers and a helmet made from a reptilian skull, was obviously female. Link was highly surprised, as no story _he_ had heard of the Moblins mentioned busty pig-women that simply stood there chanting and gesturing instead of running at you with a knife!

In fact, no Moblin had ever been recorded chanting and gesturing instead of charging, mammary glands or no. The only people who would do something like that were wizards, witch doctors, and other magic-users. Obviously Moblins were far too stupid to grasp the complexities of magic, so there couldn't be Moblin spellcasters. However, there apparently hadn't been Moblin females before. Link was just realizing the danger he might be in when the monster girl completed her ritual. There was a flash of light, and Link found himself changing.

* * *

The Moblin caster never knew what hit her. One second, she was a completely functional being, albeit one constructed from dark power instead of born naturally. The next, she was a pile of ash. A sickly green light rose away from her remains, hovering for a moment before setting out to the north. The remaining monsters stopped hiding and ran away as fast as they could; they wouldn't stand a chance against the creature before them.

Obviously, the spell had not been intended to strengthen its target. In fact, the Moblin mage had been trying to transform Link into a newt. However, the creator of that transformational enchantment had never thought it would be used against a natural shapeshifter. Though Link's magical power had still not recovered enough for him to change on his own, he could easily hi-jack a spell as flawed as that one had been. There were things he couldn't change about it, such as the reptilian nature of his new form, but the results were far better than having no control at all.

Link's long tail flicked back and forth as he examined his clawed hands. He could easily use those claws to rip his foes apart, but it would be easier to hack them to pieces with the two short swords that used to be the Deku Blade and his metal shield. Armoured scales would protect him from weak blows, while his tail would grant him extra balance while running and dodging. True, with his inherent magic drained, he was unable to turn back, but that wouldn't stop him from having fun until he could. With a roar and a burst of fiery breath, Dinofos Link ran off into the woods.

Music: Zelda Reorchestrated, Majora's Mask, Mayor's House Council Room

* * *

Link rampaged across the general area for the better part of the day. He shredded any monsters he came across, checked their remains for loose change, and torched anything that got in his way. As far as combat went, this form really didn't seem have any disadvantages.

Bursting through a gap in the trees, Link found himself standing at the edge of a village. The side he was on was mostly occupied by what looked like the shops of tradesmen. Through gaps between buildings, he saw the south was covered with gardens. The only thing he couldn't see was the people. Was this village abandoned?

Suddenly, he heard a noise behind him. He spun around just as a weighted net landed on top of him, closely followed by two more. He struggled to break free, but was soon tripped and immobilized. It was then that he got a glimpse of his attackers.

"Yeah! Good job boys, we caught the thing!" said a tall, well muscled man in clothes that were heavily blackened by soot.

"You sure this is the beast we're after?" questioned a younger man whose clothes were likewise coated with black dust.

"Of course!" replied the third, a boy about Link's age. "We've never seen anything like it, so it must be the one!"

Link struggled to break free again, but the men quickly pulled on the ropes attached to the nets, causing him to be held even tighter than before. Trying to explain who he was and what had happened was also futile as nothing left his mouth but hisses and shrieks. He was about to try burning his way out when the men came up and began to carry him away. Not wanting to hurt innocent people, he decided to leave that option until he was in immediate danger.

"Hey everybody!" yelled the largest of his captors, "We got it! It's safe to come out now!"

Doors opened and people rushed into the street. Something of a procession was formed behind Link as he was being carried down the road. A number of minutes later, they came around the edge of a hill. Link gasped.

What he had (from a distance) believed to be simply trees on the other side of the hill was actually just one tree. A veritable wooden behemoth, it seemed to hold the sky on its top branches. Link was placed on the ground in front of it. A man in a simple brown robe stood beside him and began to address the living tower.

"Oh great Maku Tree, guardian of our village and protector of Vesomdel, we ask for your wisdom! This creature has been terrorizing everything in the area, and we believe it would have burned our homes to the ground had it not been apprehended. Tell us, oh mighty spirit, what is to be done with it?"

There was a low rumble as the wood shifted. A face soon came together on the front of the tree. It glanced at Link for a moment, then began to speak in a deep, powerful voice that resonated through the clearing.

"Untie him. Leave us."

The villagers were taken aback. "Are you sure?" asked the robed man.

"Yes." replied the tree. "Go."

The three men who had originally trapped Link now removed their nets. The townsfolk fled. Link stood up and bowed in thanks to the spirit who had ordered his release. The Maku Tree smiled, and began to speak again.

"Your coming has been foretold."

* * *

_Comment: Please let be know if I'm sounding a little cheesy with this whole "a new quest begins", "your coming has been foretold", etc. Most of that stuff should be over soon, but you never know..._

_Also, there is a good explanation for why Link hasn't regained his magic power yet, but this didn't seem like the place to put it. I don't want anyone knowing before Link does.  
_


	4. Rival

_Ok, another chapter is here!  School, D&D, and walking the dog have kept me busy, but I managed to get this finished.  Hope it turned out alright, as I was a bit tired toward the end...

* * *

_

**Rival**

_Not every villain is a bad person: some just want to do what's best in a way the heroes don't agree with._

In a time and place far removed from Vesomdel, the Lord of Chaos was smiling. Against all odds, he had managed to salvage what was very close to a totally failed plot. He had intended to simply take the item he needed by force, but without the Lifesong Orb, that was not an option. However, he had managed to strike a bargain with his visitor: if the young explorer was able to recover the Orb and hand over the artifact he already had, the Lord would create a continent for his people to settle on.

Tracking down the green-haired boy after he had walked through the dimensional rift wasn't easy, but that didn't stop him from doing so. Once that was done, the Lord of Chaos opened another portal and his newest pawn walked through it. With any luck, the saying "set a thief to catch a thief" would work equally well to heroes.

Music: Zelda Reorchestrated, Ocarina of Time, Hyrule Field Main Theme Redux

* * *

It was a week after Link had been brought before the Maku Tree. The guardian spirit had told him of an ancient prophecy stating that a hero in the shape of a beast would come in Vesomdel's hour of greatest need to rescue the lost Oracle. There was also some gibberish about a "great transformation", "the fires of Heaven", and "the forgotten one", but those likely wouldn't make any sense until the events they foretold had already come to pass.

However, there was also a bit of information that wasn't a prophecy. The Oracle of Change, who had pretended to be the Oracle of Secrets in an attempt to evade the spirit that had captured her, knew that she would one day be kidnapped. Armed with the knowledge of her eventual loss of liberty, she made a couple of backup plans for when that day came. First, she created the eight Essences of Change, shards of her power that could combine to form what amounted to an emergency stop button to her magic. These Essences were scattered across Vesomdel, hidden in the depths of secluded ruins.

Second and of more immediate importance to Link, she had left a number of "dispelling beacons" across the land. These beacons were pillars of light approximately three metres in height, and had the power to restore creatures to their true forms. As soon as the villagers left the Maku Tree's clearing, the wooden colossus activated them, including the one within sight of itself. As soon as its use was explained to Link, he stepped inside and regained his human shape.

Now, a week later, he had recovered the first of the eight Essences. He had entered an ancient underground shaft known as the Wizard's Well and battled his way through the enemies that waited. Taking advantage of both the dispelling beacon at the entrance and the polymorph spells of some of the monsters within, he had reached the very bottom of the ruin and claimed the Growing Forest. Soon he would be back at the village of Holia to report his success to the Maku Tree.

Suddenly a man dropped down from the treetops and landed in front of Link. He wore a blue shirt, brown leather pants, and a mask that looking something like what the Deku Scrubs might make if they were to move to a topical island. He had a sword and shield strapped across his back. Reaching behind his blond-haired head, he readied his equipment. He grabbed his sword with his left hand and his shield with his right as he announced, "I'm here for the Orb!" As Link jumped back and prepared his own weapons, the young man charged.

Music: VG Music, The Wind Waker, Miniboss

* * *

The two remained locked in combat for some time, neither scoring a blow on the other. It seemed that they were equally skilled swordsmen, though Link was slightly faster and weaker than his opponent. While they duelled, a small conversation sprung up.

"Why… are you attacking… me?" asked Link, while ducking his foe's blade.

"I told you… I need… the Orb!" the young man answered while twisting out of the way of Link's weapon.

"I don't have it!" yelled Link as he leapt into the air, sword raised high. His opponent nimbly back flipped away and stood back, bringing the fight to a momentary pause.

"I was told you'd say that. I was also told that the only way anything could get it would be literally over your dead body, so if you're alive, you have what I need."

"Told by who?"

"It doesn't matter. All that matters is that I get the Lifesong Orb. I'm not going to ask again."

"Look, I don't have it anymore. As far as I can tell, it was destroyed by a creature called Phasmatis."

"I'm sorry to have to do this to you, but I _need_ the Orb. One way or another I'm not leaving without it. If you won't hand it over, I'm going to have to take it by force."

With that, the masked man pulled a lit bomb out of nowhere and threw it towards Link, who promptly bolted. He didn't get very far before having to jump back in order to avoid a boomerang thrown past him. The bomb then went off. He was slightly scorched by the explosion, but by sheer luck it knocked him out of the way of an arrow. Whoever his foe was, the man was very well equipped. He turned to face the masked person, who was surrounded by a glowing aura. Link knew a forcefield when he saw one; he had no choice but to flee.

To that end, he invoked the power of the magical amulet he had found deep within the Wizard's Well. He removed the rabbit's foot on a string from the D-bag and placed it around his neck. The transformation began instantly: his hands changed, his feet and ears lengthened, his face and spine shifted, and he sprouted pink fur and a fluffy white tail. The changes were completed within a second, and Link the anthropomorphic rabbit dropped to all fours and took off past his opponent.

Despite not being able to wield weapons effectively, rabbit form was still highly useful. Though Link was not interested in staying to fight, his powerful legs allowed him to launch kicks of devastating power. However, at the moment, he was more interested in speed. By dropping to all fours, Rabbit Link could move at about two and a half times his normal speed, provided his motion was relatively straight. With enough of a running start, he could even jump small gaps that were a little too wide for his human form to get across.

With the added agility, Link easily managed to get away from his opponent. The man tried to keep up, but realized he couldn't. He pulled out a hookshot, thought better of it, and then grabbed his bow. However, the masked man was unable to strike Link, who soon vanished into the forest.

With a muttered curse, the young man turned away. He decided it was better to let him go for now. However, he wouldn't stop looking. Some day, he _would_ meet the boy again, and when that time came…

He sighed, sheathed his sword, and took off into the woods.

* * *

_Comment: Those who've read Lifesong Orb should know for certain who this guy is.  Those who haven't might have a good idea anyways.  Regardless, his identity shall not be formally revealed until Link finds out._


	5. Cuccos

_Ok, another chapter has been finished! I admit, this chapter doesn't really _do _anything, but I had fun writing it.

* * *

_

**Cuccos**

_And so it came to pass that the sinful man was killed, slain by the ones he had attacked without cause._

_-Compiled Hyrulean Bedtime Stories, _The Killer and the Cucco

One major difference between the capture of the Oracle of Change and those of the other Oracles was the time it took to _really_ get the evil rolling. This was because Phasmatis wasn't having an easy time using Farore's magic. While Veran gained instant control of time by possessing the Oracle of Ages and Onox simply let the power of the seasons run wild, Phasmatis was stuck with fighting his way through magical safeguards that had continuously been improved over the last century. However, while he couldn't directly control Farore's abilities, he had managed to tap into her raw power and send it to others. Once it left him, he had no control over where it went, so some of it ended up in the strangest of places…

Music: Zelda Reorchestrated, Link's Awakening, Overworld

* * *

Link could not believe what was happening. In the past, he had been sent on heroic quests to save large portions of the world, things like "Slay the Eye Tyrant" and "Protect the Great Seal". Now, his task was much more trivial. In order to get to ruins he suspected held the next Essence of Change, it would be necessary to use the zip line over the canyon. Unfortunately, the top of the zip line was in the cucco shack, and the owner didn't care that the fate of the world might, in the long run, depend on him getting across.

No, all the owner knew was that some poor fool wanted to cross the valley, and that his Cuccos were missing. As he had no real defence against the nearby monsters (and was lazy), he decided to get Link to find the missing birds. The boy would not be allowed to cross until all five of his fowl were found, and that was the end of the matter. There was nothing Link could say to change the fact.

His father had done similar odd jobs for people. In Hyrule, he'd worked with the Happy Mask Salesman, tracked down the Gold Skultulas of the Curse, and even sold fish. In Termina, he'd brought peace to restless ghosts, saved a lost soldier, helped a cursed man marry his beloved, and simply listened to one who was tired of being ignored. However, all of it was on the side. With or without the stupid fetch quests, the world would have been saved.

Link sighed and continued on his search. The first Cucco had been easy: she was right behind the building. The second was slightly more difficult, as moblins surrounded her location. The hardest part wasn't defeating them, it was doing so without striking the bird. The third had taken shelter in a small grotto hidden among some boulders. The fourth had taken a little more effort. She was clearly visible, but clever use of his adventuring kit and lucky rabbit's foot was required to actually get her off the plateau she stood on, safe and sound.

That only left the fifth. Link had scoured the general area for most of the day and still not found her. For what seemed like the twentieth time, he made his way down to the bottom of the ravine. It wasn't difficult to enter or exit from this side, though the path was narrow. However, there was no way up the sheer cliff face on the other side. He kept going further into the valley until he reached the part blocked by a large mass of fallen rock that was too unstable to climb. As the bird _still _wasn't there, he turned around.

When he reached the entrance, he found the Cucco… held above the masked man's head.

"Looking for this?" asked the one with the wooden face covering, both hands on his flapping hostage. "I talked to the owner, and he said something about a boy in a green tunic who was _very_ insistent about getting across the canyon. I know you need to get across to go save the world or whatever, and I've got no problem with that. However, you have something I need, and now I have something you need. Really, it's better for both of us if you just hand over the Lifesong Orb."

"I already told you, _I don't have it!_ Besides, I don't even know what you want it for." replied Link.

"Why does it matter? The point is that it will help my people, and you don't seem to be using it for anything. It's not like I'm about to hand it over to the powers of darkness or anything."

"Really? The only people who've ever asked me for the Orb _were_ the powers of darkness!"

"Whatever. You won't be able to cross the valley without the Cucco, and you won't get the Cucco until I have the Orb."

He sighed, transferring the bird to his left hand and leaning against a boulder. It was exactly the opportunity Link had been waiting for. Although he only had a few of them, it was the perfect time to pull something from his adventuring kit: a deku nut. He threw it, and the bright flash caused his foe to instinctively cover his eyes and drop the Cucco, which immediately bolted towards Link.

However, it wasn't long before the man recovered. Before Link could grab the Cucco, he turned and lifted the massive rock he had been leaning against. He lobbed it into the air, and it landed across the only path out of the valley.

"Let's try this again: you don't leave until I have the Orb." proclaimed the masked man

"Or until I have your power bracelets." replied Link.

"How did you…? No matter, you're not getting them!"

Both drew their swords and entered a fighting stance, and then the battle began.

Music: VG Music, Wind Waker, Mini-boss

* * *

Link started off with a simple backhand slash which was easily blocked by his foe, who countered with a shield bash. Link let the blow push him, using its momentum to flip his feet up and strike his opponent below the jaw. Both took a moment to steady themselves, after which they returned to battle. The masked man charged with his sword thrust forward; Link rolled around behind him to strike at his back. However, his blow did not connect as his opponent spun around and jumped over his head and tried to slash at his skull. Link threw himself to the ground, narrowly avoiding the attack. His opponent landed on the Cucco, who squawked in protest.

After both combatants picked themselves up, the masked man fell back and pulled out his bow. Link jumped to the side and a number of arrows streaked past him. He raised his shield just in time to avoid being struck by the next volley, then pulled his grappling hook out of his adventuring kit. As his opponent grabbed more arrows, he let fly the hook, successfully snagging the bow and ripping it out of his foe's hands. He was soon forced to drop the rope when the masked man swung a giant leaf, causing a blast of air that knocked both he and the Cucco against the canyon wall.

As soon as he recovered, Link rushed for his opponent. The man continued to use his giant leaf, but also threw bombs. Link had to do a lot of dodging in order to avoid being blown to bits, and so didn't make much forward progress. As Link jumped away from the most recently thrown explosive, he felt a sharp pain in his right shoulder and was pulled away. His opponent had pulled out a hookshot and successfully imbedded the tip in his collar bone. As his foe stood steady, supported by weighted boots, the hookshot retracted and dragged Link towards his foe. It would be over and hour before his magical healing could fix a wound like that, and without his right arm being usable, he wouldn't survive melee combat with such a skilled opponent.

Then came an unexpected sound. The bomb went off, as anticipated, but it was accompanied by something else. The poor, bewildered Cucco had wandered close to it and be injured by the explosion. At this point, she decided she'd suffered enough abuse for one day. Both Link and his foe turned to watch her as she sounded the call for reinforcements. Soon, her brethren would arrive, and the humans would be completely at their mercy.

"You fool!" shouted Link. "Look what you've done!"

"I made a bird mad, so what?" replied the masked man.

"Not just any bird, a Cucco! Entire villages have been destroyed when their anger has been aroused!"

"But what could one bird… oh. Not one bird."

An entire flock of Cuccos had arrived, flying directly towards the ones who'd dared allow their battle to harm a defenceless hen. There was no shelter; all ways out had been blocked. The masked man tried to grab something, but was too slow. The fowl horde engulfed them.

Music: VG Music, Link's Awakening, House by the Bay

* * *

Link was surprised to be alive after the birds left. The Cuccos hadn't ripped the two limb from limb as was their custom, but had instead found another punishment they believed to be more fitting. Judging by the flares of transformation magic launched by the birds, they had somehow gotten their figurative hands on some mystical energy. Link began to take stock of just exactly what this new form was.

The weight at Link's chest was quite familiar, as were the wide hips, narrow waist, and other feminine features. Having wings in place of arms was a new experience, and so were the talons she had instead of feet. Hair had grown down to the base of her neck, a thin layer of feathers covered her legs, and her broad tail lifted the back of her tunic rather indecently. Her right shoulder still throbbed, but was mostly repaired by the transformation. All in all, things could have been worse.

Her opponent, on the other hand, didn't seem to be taking the changes too well. The other harpy simply sat there looking down at herself. Her leather pants and blue sweater were somewhat less than ideal things to wear before being polymorphed, the former not able to fit over tail-feathers and the latter losing its sleeves to the expansion of arms into wings. Her power bracelets and weighted boots had fallen off, useless in her new form.

Link tried to stand up. It took a moment to find her balance, but after bending her legs and leaning forward, she was ready to walk. She tried to wrap her wing around the stunned girl, but was swatted away. The masked one stood up. After grabbing her bracelets with her talons, she flapped her wings and got off the ground, flying over the boulder she had placed to block the path.

Link tried to follow, but found her shoulder was too sore to try flying with. Annoying as her rival was, she hoped the girl found a dispelling beacon. She knew how hard it was to be stuck in a form not one's own, especially without prior experience with shapeshifting. The sun was setting, so she decided to bed down for the night. With even limited flight she would be able to cross the ravine tomorrow. With any luck, the ruins would contain an Essence of Change and would therefore have a dispelling beacon at the front.

The last thing that crossed Link mind before she fell asleep was "I hope harpies don't lay eggs on a daily basis". She'd find out one way or the other in the morning.

* * *

_Comment: The original version of this didn't end up with the other guy transformed, but it also thoroughly sucked in other spots. Also, we have yet more "evidence" that children got _real _fairy-tales._

_Also, about some of the details in the end bit there: I'm just telling the truth.  
_


	6. Arsenal

_Sorry about the gap between updates, but I've been rather busy. Also, a bunch of new ideas have come along that I really want to use, but it's likel going to take awhile to figure out how to but them in without disrupting the ending I've been planning since before Lifesong Orb was written. Don't be surprised if I don't update again for awhile._

_This isn't quite a real chapter as nothing really happens, but I'm putting it up anyways. Having an idea of what Link can do in the first dungeon I describe will be really helpful.

* * *

  
_

**Arsenal**

_My rifle and myself are the defenders of my country._

_-Major General WH Rupertus, _My Rifle (The Creed of a United States Marine)

In dark canyon at the edge of the Blackspine Moutains, our hero stood before a vast archway of carved stone. Beyond it was the ancient shrine known only as the Dream Den. It is said to hold dark and terrible things, though none who have come out alive have described it in quite the same way. Given that the majority of those who enter do not come out at all, it would be wise to be cautious while entering if entering at all. It was time for the boy to take one last look at his skills and equipment before he set foot inside.

Music: Zelda Reorchestrated, Ocarina of Time, Shop

* * *

So far, there were two forms that Link could assume at will. The first of these was the Rabbit. In addition to being able to run quite fast and jump over significant (though not massive) horizontal gaps, his powerful legs could deliver kicks of lethal strength. Also, if he didn't mind getting dirty, he could crawl through small tunnels that were inaccessible in other shapes.

Second and more recent was the Ogre. By wearing a pair of heavy leather gloves he had found in Castle Lololo, Link could grow into a muscle-bound monster some eight feet in height. Though somewhat slow, the Ogre was tough and could shrug off blows that would have sent Link flying in his normal form. Lifting large objects was no problem in ogre form, and though his sword and shield were too small to be useful, his mighty fists could deliver punches capable of shattering bone.

Link also knew of three forms that he could not transform into on his own. The first one, Dinofos form, has already been covered rather well. As a Harpy, Link could fly short distances, similar to the long, gliding jumps he could make with the Cloak of Power while in Gerudo form. The Harpy's taloned feet could rip foes to shreds, but it was difficult use them effectively without making a bit of a flying charge. In addition to being useful for their ability to generate lift, Link's wings could cause small gust of wind capable of turning small windmills.

Finally, there was the epitome of slow but strong. After gazing into the eyes of a strange, snake-hired floating head that had flown into his face, Link had been transformed into a hammer-wielding Armos. While in that shape, he had been virtually invulnerable to attacks from the front and sides. The maul attached to his front squashed foes into paste and he could explode violently at will, though doing so was quite painful. The only problem was how long it took to go anywhere. As hopping about one meter every two seconds was very time-consuming, he tried to avoid Armos form unless there was another creature capable of transforming him within about two rooms.

Though polymorphing was a vital tool, the rabbit's foot and gloves were not the only tools Link had. Though all of its components were of significantly lower quality than the things he had found before, Link did have his "adventurer's kit". It was made up of all kinds of mundane objects useful in dungeon-delving. He had a bag of marbles, two Deku Nuts, five flasks of oil, a large amount of thin twine, several torches, a small raft, a stepladder, a tent, and thirty meters of rope with an additional ten tied to a grappling hook. There were a great many things he couldn't do with the kit alone, but there were a great many things that he could do as well. The rope alone made it worth having, and everything came in handy at some point.

Lastly, Link carried a small blue box. This box contained two gold rings: one set with a malachite four-leaf clover and the other with a sapphire feather. The box had space for a third ring, but Link was currently wearing the one with the rose quartz heart. He had found those rings and a number of others lying dormant in the ruins. The travelling jeweller Vasu had activated them for a charge of twenty rupees each and then explained the rules regarding them. Once they awake, rings require a constant power source or they will burn out and become useless. A ring case is a power source that just happens to be a box. Also, wearing multiple rings could cause a devastating magical backlash at any time, so it was safest to stick with just one.

Of the rings he kept with him, he most often wore the Lesser Heart Ring. It provided a small amount of magical healing over time. Between his innate regeneration and the ring, he wasn't in much danger of dying from large numbers of small attacks. However, there were times when the healing wasn't the best option. The Green Luck Ring held powerful protective magics that would defend its wearer from all manner of traps. The Roc's Ring was useful when he needed to cross a large expanse of unstable floor, quite a common occurrence in places that haven't been repaired in the Goddesses know how many centuries.

Vasu had kindly offered to store Link's excess rings for him. Among those excess rings were the Friendship Ring (a sign to jewellers that one of their number trusted him), the Least Power Ring (filled with destructive power that amplified all wounds taken in its vicinity), the Cursed Ring (a useless ring that weakens its wearer), and the Red Colour Ring (capable of changing the colour scheme of one's clothing). Link didn't have much use for them at the moment, but he might some day. In the meantime, he would continue exploring and hope to find more powerful rings.

* * *

Everything seemed to be in order. The rope was unknotted, he had enough torches and oil for a day or two of exploration, and he was currently uninjured. He had actually managed to find all his marbles the last time he'd scattered them, and his two non-ring magic items were intact. It wouldn't be possible for Link to become more ready for this than he already was. He lit a torch, took a deep breath, and stepped into the dark unknown.

* * *

_Comment: Yes, I just made up the Red Colour Ring off the top of my head. Presumably Link also has a few other rings, some of which might not exist in the games. _


	7. Dream Den

_This chapter is finally complete. I had the general idea for this months ago, but I couldn't figure out how to write it. Also, for those that bother with the background music, I've updated my index. The new version is available from my dA account, under scraps. Anyways, enjoy!

* * *

_

**Dream Den**

_What happens when it is the dream that wakes up and the sleeper that fades into memory?_

_-Flavour text on the Dream Stalker_

Torch in hand, Link set off into the cave in front of him. The limestone walls were engraved with strange patterns that seemed to dance like that fire that illuminated them. He crossed the empty opening chamber and threw open the heavy door to the next room. After he stepped inside, the stone slab slammed shut behind him. This room was also empty save for three barred doors and a dispelling beacon. Try as he might, Link could neither disengage the locks on the doors nor batter them down. Disappointed at the fact he apparently lacked the abilities necessary to progress through the dungeon, he returned to the previous room. Or rather, he tried to: when he opened the door, Link found himself facing a horde of Stalfos rather than a way out. He thought he heard someone laugh as he drew his sword and waded into combat.

Music: Other, Dream Shrine

* * *

As he wandered the twisting tunnels of the Dream Den, Link encountered a number of challenges. Many of the rooms were gauntlets of dangerous traps, such as the room with spikes shooting out of the floor and a pair of Beamos guarding the only safe path. By shifting into Rabbit form and carefully timing his crossing, he had managed to cross the room unscathed only to end up surrounded by Keese in the next room. Others were filled with with monsters, most annoyingly the Moblin Magi that kept transforming him into a Dinofos whenever it would be inconvenient. In a few places, Link found legible writing hidden in the patterns on the wall. Such engravings would invariably be useful hints or even blatant directions for solving puzzles elsewhere, leaving only the far from insignificant difficulty of actually finding the room in which their knowledge applied.

Despite the grave danger (and occasional mocking laughter) presented to him at every turn, Link eventually managed to figure out a little of how the dungeon worked. Though it seemed as if the dungeon randomly re-arranged itself as he entered each new room, it became clear that that was not the case. Though the doors did not lead to the same chamber from each side, their locations were constant. For example, Room A Door 2 would always lead to Room D Door 4, regardless of whether Link had stepped through it from Room B Door 4 or Room C Door 4. In effect, the dungeon was a complicated network of one-way portals: difficult but not impossible to navigate. It was no wonder no one had ever returned from the place.

So it was that Link was eventually able to plot out a kind of map of where he had been. With this map, he was able to finally find the room with the Stalfos, Keese, and Pols Voice so that he could kill them in that order. He found the most optimal route from the Cucco to the chasm: exit the room through the far door, pass across the threshold on the right, shred the Medusa Head before being turned into an Armos, use the switch it was guarding to open the door she entered through, leave through the newly opened door, and fly over the gap. Of course, she had to try three times to get it right: on the first two she accidentally looked the floating head in the eye and had to spend the next half hour hopping back to the dispelling beacon through monster infested halls, amusing the disembodied laughter to no end.

After all that, the bird-girl found herself re-entering the chamber with the dispelling beacon through one of the locked doors, which did not bar itself again. Unfortunately the room beyond contained a rusted switch which could only be triggered with a hammer. Link let out a squawk of anger and left through the door she came through.

Music: OC Remix, The Legend of Zelda, FearAndSufferance

* * *

Overall, it seemed as if the dungeon had not been designed to stop seasoned adventurers from progressing. The puzzles were simple; the monsters, though numerous, were weak; the traps were deadly but not unavoidable. No, the Dream Den did its best to give the illusion of progress while it slowly ate away at the resources of any who dared enter. Simple puzzles had to be solved again and again, small scratches from countless battles began to take their toll, and no one could avoid every trap every time. Over time, resources such as medicine, light, and water would dwindle to nothing. The Dream Den was not about a climactic clash in every room, it was a war of attrition: the dungeon slowly exhausting the adventurer while the adventurer slowly chipped away at its wall of protective secrets.

When Link finally reached the Boss Door, Big Key in hand, he was down to the final minutes of his last torch. Though his magical ring and healing powers had helped, his body was still cut in many places. However, he knew that if he did not enter now, he never would. He was tired and knew that if he fell asleep while waiting he would wake up with his throat slit. Rather than allow that to happen, he raised the Big Key into the air and jammed it into the lock. The key spun of its own accord, clicking as it did. Link drew his sword as the door sank into the ground, then stepped forward to face whatever was on the other side.

As he entered, a cold blast of air snuffed his torch. Seconds later, a pair of much brighter flames sprang into being in front of him. The door behind him rocketed out of its position in the ground, sealing him in the room. The walls and floor were made not of limestone but of black onyx. The two magical fires hovered over pillars that flanked a set of wide steps. The top step was more of a small platform, and raised atop that platform was a large pool of water. Link took another step forward and gasped as he felt the unmistakable magic of the fey, confirming his suspicions as to the purpose of the room. The hero stood in a Great Fairy's Fountain.

Suddenly, the laughter that had followed him through the dungeon started up again. Up from the fountain sprang a woman some twenty feet in height, her skin the colour of her abode and her eyes burning like the fires that illuminated it. She reclined in the air above the water, and looked down at Link.

"So you made it. In the centuries I have lived here, you are the first to see this room." she said, apparently somewhat impressed. "You always were an observant hero, but still, after all these years... Heh, I always knew I would get to see you one last time before the end."

"What end? What are you talking about?" asked a confused Link.

"_Your_ end!" exclaimed the dark fairy, springing to an upright position and lashing out with a fire spell. Link rolled to the side of the flames, then ducked under a second blast.

"It's time for you to burn!" she yelled, creating a whip from magical flame. She then continued to verbalize as she attacked Link with the whip.

"Burn like Clocktown!" as Link backflipped away.

"Burn like the farmlands!" as she caught his shield.

"Burn like the whole of Termina!" as the Deku Blade was torn from his hand.

She paused in both her speech and her assault. "I see from the blank look on your face that you have no idea what I'm talking about. You left, and your homeland burned. _He_ came, and there was nothing."

Icy javelins formed in her hands. She began to throw them at Link while she continued. "We fought, but our armies were tossed aside. The circle of magi was divided, and the power of the Great Fairies was sundered. All the while we called for help, but you _never came back!_"

Link leapt forward and grabbed his sword, narrowly avoiding a hail of icicles. Another fire blast landed beside him as he spun counter-clockwise and threw the blade. His aim was perfect, and it struck the fair directly in the forehead. She stared at him for a moment, stunned, then casually removed the weapon from her head and tossed it aside.

"Is that the best you can do?" she asked, and Link was lifted into the air. She leaned closer to him. "No invincible war machine? No swift Gerudo with her magic cloak? No mighty Wolfos with rending claws? Not even the lowly Tin Soldier with a homemade trebuchet strapped to his back? Can it be that you are no hero, but just a scared little boy devoid of magic and equipment?"

A thought seemed to occur to her. "So you _don't_ even have the strength to pull off a simple transformation. Strange, when you had so much before. I wonder where it all is?"

Link struggled against the magical bonds as the fairy examined him.

"Can this be a spell of cloaking? I didn't think you knew any, let alone one so strong as to drain the majority of your energy. What are you hiding, boy?"

"N-nothing."

"_What are you hiding?_"

The fairy began to focus her energies on attempting to pierce the spell Link had not known he was maintaining. As she tried to unravel it, her magic came closer and closer to the core of Link's own until the moment came when they touched.

Link did not know what he did next. He sensed the fell power of the fairy, but that was not all. Through his momentary connection to his opponent, he felt the seemingly endless might of the fountain itself. Somehow, he reached out to that power pulled on it, but he could not hold it himself. So far as he could tell, he thrust magical energy into her: more magical energy than she could take. The entirety of the fountain's mystical might flowed into her, and her body was completely vapourized. Link fell to the floor. His whole body tingled for a moment, and he thought he heard a familiar voice:

"Link, carry me home."

Link awoke and sat bolt upright. It took him a moment to remember where he was. After entering the Dream Den, he immediately seen the next Essence simply sitting upon the stone slab he now occupied. He must have somehow fallen asleep after grabbing it.

Had that entire dungeon been nothing but a dream? Something told him there was more to it than that, but he might very well never know for sure.

* * *

_Comment: This dungeon is designed to be as annoying to go through as it was to write. I don't know why, but I wanted a place for people to _hate. _Originally, it was supposed to have movable rooms such that you bassically had to do the whole sliding block puzzle thing with the dungeon to get everything in the right place, but that turned out to be far too difficult to actually run with._

_The part that really kept me thinking was the end. If the dungeon was not a dream, that ending sets up new ideas that take the story to an ending significantly differant than the one I had planned way back before I started writing Lifesong Orb. By putting this as a (possibly real) dream sequence, I can choose which to actually use when the time comes._

_I'm sorry about not putting more puzzle solving and such in, but I have having enough difficulty finishing as it is. I believe I have enough material in my mind to take this story to the end now, so chapters should start coming just a wee bit quicker than this one did. Thank all of you for your patience in waiting for this chapter!  
_


	8. Desert

_Hey, where did everybody go? No matter, I'm still here with an update._

_A couple quick notes before we begin: first, I've never left my nice, cold country, so my descriptions of the climate are likely a little bit over the top. Secon, due to unforseen circumstances, the second Music is temporarily our of order. It should be back in business come February, but for now you'll have to find something else or make due without music altogether.

* * *

  
_

**Desert**

_Carry all those phantoms through bitter wind and stormy skies. From the desert to the mountain, from the lowest low to the highest high._

_Rush, _Ghost Rider

A decade past, a man stood alone. He rested atop evidence of an ancient civilization where none had believed life possible. As the fiery sun of the desert set, trading the blistering heat of day for the frozen wasteland of night, he let the last of his water trickle past his cracked lips and into his withered throat. He withdrew from his pack a sheaf of papers and took note of all he saw. That explorer had gone where few had dared to and returned with a tale of the secret riches of a lost tribe. After ensuring his notes were secure, he had made preparations to return to the sand-blasted realm to claim them. He bade his friends and family farewell, set off once more, and was never seen again.

Music: Zelda Reorchestrated, Ocarina of Time, Gerudo Valley Redux 2.0

* * *

Link felt as if he was on fire. The sun seemed hot enough to melt iron, and its light reflected off the endless white sands. He saw no signs of past or present life save for the occasional shrivelled cactus and the sandblasted bones of long-dead beasts. Even the air was dry and dead. It seemed that nothing could possibly survive here for long, yet the journal he'd found hidden in a cave indicated that this place was once home to a mighty desert people. If the written words of a past adventurer were true, this barren landscape would be the perfect place to hide one of the Essences of Change.

The boy stopped in the shadow of a sand dune for a moment to take a small drink of water. Despite his current location, the substance was not in short supply: he'd purchased several of the large barrels known as tuns when he had last returned to town. Such a vast quantity of water should keep him supplied for weeks if not longer, and if he didn't drink it he could always find _something _to do with the stuff. In addition to carrying hundreds of gallons of liquid in his D-bag, he'd prepared for the desert climate by removing the chain armour from beneath his tunic and bringing a ring that stopped its wearer from being tripped by the shifting sands.

After leaving the Dream Den, Link had continued his search for the remaining five Essences. Along the way, he'd located the cavern rumoured to have been used as a stash by the famed explorer Colin of the South before his mysterious disappearance ten years ago. Link apparently arrived just in time to stop a tribe of Moblins (real Moblins, not magical constructs) from building a bomb factory there. After a difficult battle with the massive Moblin King, he was able to more thoroughly explore the place and stumbled across Colin's journal. It mentioned a few places that Colin hadn't managed to loot. Most of them were small shrines that were hardly worth checking out: aside from the one with the magic horn bracelet that provided just enough of an energy boost for him to take on Dinofos form, none of them had anything valuable enough to justify the time and effort of stealing it.

However, the majority of the end of the journal talked of something else. That something was a worn and weathered stone pyramid in the middle of the wasteland. The centuries had not been kind it, as evidenced by the smoothed corners and crumbling remains of a plaster coating. A small number of hieroglyphs remained on its surface, especially on the door which was inset into the outer wall and protected from the elements. According to Colin's interpretation based on similar ancient writings, the hieroglyphs stated that the pyramid contained the greatest treasure of the ancient desert tribe. However, he hadn't been able to explain the small, cylindrical holes in the temple, nor the purpose of raised edges on the stone paths leading up to it.

Whatever secrets the ancient structure held, Link resolved to find them. He continued his trek as a faint whisper of a breeze passed across his face.

* * *

Hours later, dusk was falling. It wouldn't be long before night, and night meant cold. The desert, as Link had found, was a place of extremes: fiery death by day and bone-chilling cold by night. It was a wonder to him that anything could ever have lived here, let alone built the massive structure Colin had described. Regardless, it was chilly and Link had to get his tent set up.

Link shivered. The wind was beginning to really pick up for the first time since Link had set foot in the sandy wastes. Earlier, he would have welcomed it. Now, with the heat of day fading, it was a curse. He watched the dust begin to skitter as he started pounding in pegs. Suddenly, a thought occurred to him.

"Doesn't wind pick up sand?" he said to himself.

Abandoning his tent, he scrambled up the nearest dune and looked upwind. In the fading light he saw a vast wall of sand. The great wave advanced, sweeping aside massive dunes as a broom might dust bunnies. Any idea of sleeping fled instantly: he didn't need rest, he needed cover. He ran away as fast as he could.

After one minute, he was a quarter of the way up the next dune. Two minutes, and he was running down the other side. There was still nothing in sight that looked as if it could withstand the sandstorm. The advancing wall of death marched ever forward, and it wasn't far behind him now. Then, as he reached the top of a third dune, he saw it. Silhouetted against the last rays of sunlight was a great structure of stone: the pyramid he'd come all this way to find. Link shifted into Rabbit form and bolted down the hill.

Music: Other, Flight of the Sandworm

* * *

After making it inside and slamming the stone door seconds before the sandstorm reached him, Link looked around. The light of a dispelling beacon illuminated a large hall. Everything was big and ornate, giving it the appearance of a throne room or place of worship. The walls were absolutely covered in hieroglyphs, but he could not fathom their meaning. There were two raised strips of floor running across the chamber and through a grand archway into the next.

Link cautiously stepped forward into the next room. The raised strips continued for a short distance before turning ninety degrees in opposite directions and being joined by a third which was perpendicular to the original path of the first pair. There appeared to be a pile of cloth strewn across the junction. Link drew closer and carefully lifted the edge of one piece. He quickly backed away when he saw the dried out remains of a long-dead human face beneath. Curiosity got the better of him, however, so he closed in to make a closer inspection.

The corpse was leathery and dry, preserved by the desert air. Its yellowed skin was shrivelled and its spine showed through its decaying back. Link was no expert, but judging by the position the body was sprawled in, whoever this was had been trying to escape the temple. Whether the person had tripped or been crawling at the time of death, Link could not tell. Regardless, the message was clear. Link imagined he could hear the spirit of the dead explorer saying "Get out while you still can".

He covered the body again and continued on his way.

* * *

As usual, Link faced two main obstacles in the exploration. The first of these was the magical constructs that had taken up residence in the abandoned structure. Most every room contained a number of Ropes, but there were a number of Armos and Anubis prowled the halls as well. However, the monsters were not located in the rooms that contained the second danger: the deadly traps constructed by the pyramid builders in order to destroy intruders. However, Link found that rooms containing the raised strips of floor did not contain and traps. Unfortunately the paths often lead to dead ends with either holes in the wall near the floor or wider squares of enclosed area. Also, a great many of the heavy stone doors were beyond Link's ability to lift.

Fallen pillars, on the other hand, could be picked up just fine. He picked one up and chucked it across the room, squashing a number of unfortunate serpents. He then stomped across the room and slid a massive block out from in front of a door. However, the door was locked. Leaving Ogre form in favour of Dinofos, he dashed about the chamber and lit the torches with his fiery breath. Drawing upon the mysterious magic of dungeons, the four flames opened the way forward.

Link resumed his true form as he walked across the threshold, and the door slammed shut behind him. He was immediately greeted by the smell of mold left long undisturbed. It didn't take long to see why: a great number of skeletons lay along the walls, their flesh having departed decades ago. A large stone platform sprouted from the centre of the room, held to the floor with two pegs of rock. Many tiny bones cracked beneath Link's feet as he walked toward the it. The scene of death almost seemed to speak to him

"We are the trapped souls of a hundred dead adventurers, slain by our greed. Let our bones be a warning to you: there is no treasure here, merely an untimely end." the ghostly voices moaned.

Link would gladly have let the mighty seal lie still, but there was nowhere else to go. He shifted into Ogre form and began to open it.

The instant the first peg was removed, Link heard the last thing he had expected here: rushing water. Soon thereafter, there was a large thump as a tremendous geyser struck the underside of the stone slab. Water began to seep out from beneath it, and there would be no keeping it in now. The magical seal had been broken, and the room began to fill with liquid. Fortunately, it only came up to the edge of the platform, the rest draining through holes in the walls. Unfortunately, the tiny bones Link had walked all over were becoming significantly more animate, forming into skeletal fish.

In a way, this sort of made sense. To people living in a place where it basically never rains, water would be far more valuable than gold or rupees. The pyramid had obviously been built to protect the aquifer, and the "paths" leading away from it were actually aqueducts for bringing water to the rest of the desert. The undead fish must be a last line of defence in case anyone attempted to seize the spring, or maybe the reason it was sealed in the first place. Of course, how much sense this situation did or did not make wasn't nearly as important to Link as how he might get out of it.

A careful look around the room revealed details he hadn't initially noticed. First, there were a number of cylindrical holes in the wall high above. There were some around floor level that were already allowing water to drain and keeping the level stable. There was also another door about one level above, but it wasn't open. However, it was worth a shot. Link took his raft out of his D-bag and pulled the other peg from the seal. He returned to human form and jumped on as even more water gushed out from beneath the platform.

When the water reached the second set of holes, it flowed through them and turned gears that opened the door. Using the Deku Blade as a makeshift paddle, he headed for it. The shaky raft was no substitute for a proper place to stand, but it was much better than swimming. A number of the animated skeletons tried to knock him off, and a few even leapt out of the water at him. He lashed out at them with his sword, cutting a number of them into pieces. He received a few bites, but he made out a lot better than the adventurers whose corpses littered the floor below.

* * *

With the water flowing, the whole landscape of the dungeon changed. Before, he had pushed a few blocks and bashed a few heads. Now, he was back to the annoying world of aqueducts, dams, and valves. Everything came down to controlling the flow of the water. Route it one way, it opened a door; the other, it entered two more rooms. Eventually, however, he came to a dead end. In order to get liquid flowing where he needed it, he'd had to cut off his only means of entrance into the room.

A thought occurred to him. Often in the past when his way had been blocked it had been necessary to create his own paths (read: smoking holes in previously solid walls). Though he no longer had any explosives of his own, he knew where to find some. After slashing at walls until he heard the distinctive clink of a weak spot, he lured an Armos statue over and killed it. His plan successful, Link set off into a new area of the pyramid.

Link soon encountered another set of aqueducts. They contained no water, but he followed them anyway. He soon came to a valve in the centre of a junction. Link turned it, and heard a rumbling some distance off. No liquid was forthcoming. Confused, he continued on his way. However, much of the unexplored area was inaccessible and he was forced to turn around.

As soon as he reached the first floor (having been on the third), he understood the significance of the hidden valve. The entire floor was flooded with water up to his knees. Also, water wasn't the only thing that had gotten in: a small number of the undead fish lurked just beneath the surface of the water. They'd make things a lot tougher, but overall the valve was a good move as it had opened up a number of rooms he hadn't been able to explore previously. Despite the added hazards, Link pressed on.

* * *

It took Link a full twenty four hours to clear the dungeon, counting a great big sleep break in a secure room. By the end, most of the pyramid was full of water. He'd had to turn three of the large valves in order to reach the top of it, completely flooding the first and second floors and leaving quite a mess on the third. His final opponent was Facade, a vicious animated chunk of floor who'd attacked him with tiles and sprayed water and skeletal sea life. Fortunately, Link had found a magical helmet guarded by a trio of Armos Knights that allowed him to become an Armos, and his hammer and ability to explode made short work of the flat foe. He claimed the Shifting Sands, fourth of the Eight Essences of Change, then escaped through a secret passage at the top of the pyramid.

The setting sun reflected off the lost treasure of the ancients. No more would it be hoarded away. Splashing out of the side of the pyramid, it was free for any who wished to claim it. A change for the good had been wrought this day: water flowed across the desert again.

* * *

_Comment: Yes, I _am _too lazy to make up my own boss. The truth is, this is already a long chapter and I had the feeling I would never finish it if I tried to describe solving all the puzzles and fighting the boss._


	9. Of Winds

_In which a hero remembers. So much for hiding the identity of the other guy until Link found out. Oh well, most of you probably figured it out anyways._

_Also, this chapter contains some spoilers of Wind Waker and Phantom Hourglass, for those that haven't played them.

* * *

  
_

**Of Winds**

_I stood by the shore at the death of day, as the sun sank flaming red; and the face of the waters that spread away was as gray as the face of the dead._

_-Paul Dunbar, _The Wind and The Sea

Vesomdel is home to a number of bodies of water. Most of these are simply small ponds and streams, though there are larger lakes and rivers as well. The biggest is the great Divider River, so called because its banks cut the land in half starting at its headwaters in the Blackspine Mountains. However, none of Vesomdel's inhabitants are more respectful of any sea or lake than the place that river leads: the Uzumaki Bay. Between tides, it is calm and sheltered. When the tide turns, the sea's fury is unleashed: water rushes in or out with great speed, and a mighty whirlpool forms. It is on this terrible passage that our hero now sails, hoping to survive the maelstrom and claim a treasure hidden in its depths long ago. However, our story does not head to the bottom of this ocean, but to a secret place far beneath another.

Music: Zelda Reorchestrated, Wind Waker, Tower of the Gods

* * *

"When you get right down to it, Ganon's Tower is _boring._"

Link, Hero of Winds, was talking to himself. His mysterious host never showed himself, and there was nobody else to talk to.

"No cards, no games, nowhere to sit down and relax – just weapons and deathtraps as far as the eye can see." he continued. "I mean, what did he _do_ all day? Sit at the top of it and chuckle about how no one could possibly hurt him? What am _I _still doing here anyways? Oh yes, hoping to save the world again. If he'll let me go back."

The harpy incident had been a major setback. It had taken him three days of hell to get back to the hidden portal. For three whole days his body was not capable of most of the stuff he had taken for granted: swinging a sword, pushing blocks, performing acrobatics, tying knots, lighting a bomb, and even standing up straight were all beyond him. His arms were tired from flying and his back sore for no apparent reason. He couldn't get a fire started to cook his food and so had to eat it raw. None of his clothes fit. Going to the bathroom felt really weird. Finally, to top it all off, the white-haired man had been furious when he returned without the Lifesong Orb and had declared that Link would not be allowed to return to Vesomdel until he proved he deserved another chance.

"As if what I've already done doesn't count. Come on, destroying an all-consuming cosmic horror and defeating the King of Evil himself isn't good enough?"

Yes, he _had_ saved the world before. Twice. His first adventure had started out of sheer happenstance. It began when a massive bird carried away his sister. It ended with the sealing of an ancient evil and the destruction of an entire kingdom hidden beneath the waves. Along the way he had met a pirate crew that didn't really want to hurt anyone, a trio of guardian spirits from times long past, and a talking boat that happened to be the ruler of a nation long hidden beneath the waves.

He'd fought his way through five dungeons, entered the Forsaken Fortress twice, battled the Helmaroc King, and climbed to the top of a tower beneath the waves. He'd wielded the legendary Master Sword and guided the sages who restored it to its full potential. He'd watched as the last King of Hyrule waited to be washed away with his doomed kingdom. After that, he and Tetra (the pirate captain and Princess of Hyrule) had sailed wherever the winds would take them, searching for the future.

Then came the second adventure. After a year of exploring, they encountered a Ghost Ship said to hold riches far greater than anyone could imagine. When Tetra boarded it, she disappeared. Link ran after her, but a great mist rose up. When he could see again, he found himself on the shores of a mysterious island.

The search for Tetra was not much different than his attempts to save his sister. However, when he finally caught up with the Ghost Ship, she was naught but a statue, her life force almost completely drained by a great evil. This mighty foe, named Bellum, was a soul-devouring monstrosity from beyond the realm of mortal comprehension. Ages before, it had battled with the Ocean King... and won. When he finally saw the beast, he knew he was face to face with the hunger of the universe, its gaping maw ready to gobble up everything. In the final battle with the beast, it came up on top. Had it not been for Captain Linebeck picking up the Phantom Blade, it would have succeeded in its goal.

"Ahh, those were the days. Running around everywhere, the wind at my back and the sea on my face. It all seemed like a game back then. Yeah, the monsters were freaky and they damn near killed me more than once, but it was fun. It's too bad that I haven't had a chance to go back and visit that island chain. There were good people there. But with the world in danger again..."

No, there wasn't another big bad evil guy breaking some seal placed on him long ago. This danger was natural: the Great Sea was dieing. There was a poison in the waters that had claimed the lives of many fish, and there soon wouldn't be enough to feed the people who relied on them for sustenance. The islands did not have enough land to feed all the people through agriculture. The guardians of the ocean seamed powerless to stop it; they could delay the end but could not prevent it. If a new land was not found, and soon, then all who lived on the Great Sea would die.

Link had searched far and wide for such a land, but it was not to be found. Just when all hope seemed lost, he heard rumours that a great seer had taken residence in Six-Eye Reef. When Link arrived, however, there was no oracle, only a whirlpool that nearly drowned him. He fell unconscious some time after being sucked into it, only to awake in Ganon's Tower.

After climbing to the top, he met a strange giant of a man with blue armour, white hair, and eyes that looked blind but seemed to stare into his very soul. He said that if three magical objects could be brought together, a new continent could be raised from the ocean floor. The first was the Ocarina of Time, already held by the white-haired man. The second was the Wind Waker, and magical baton in Link's possession. The last was the Lifesong Orb, a crystal ball owned by a child who had walked through a dimensional rift. Fortunately, the giant had already managed to find where the boy had landed. He opened a portal using the Ocarina, and Link set foot on a true continent for the first time since Hyrule had finally been washed away.

"But he won't give it up. He's no mere boy, either. He held his ground in a fight for awhile twice, and that's not something just anyone could accomplish. And he had a weird look in his eyes. I know I've seen that look before..."

Yes, now he remembered. That boy, dressed in the green tunic of the legendary heroes, had the same look in his eyes as Dahpnes Nonhansen Hyrule had had before he drowned with his kingdom. They were kind of eyes that looked as if they had seen the end of the world but kept on going. Hard as you tried, you could never completely hide something like that. Could whatever happened be related to the Orb? Could this boy be the hero of a distant land?

* * *

Link found his feet were carrying him higher into the tower. There was nothing up here except the roof, but maybe he needed to see it. He needed to check that Ganondorf still stood there, petrified by the Master Sword. He needed to be where the last of Hyrule's kings had finally fallen. Maybe there he would be able to determine what was really going on.

When he arrived, he saw what he expected: the statue of a massive cloaked figure, staring upwards into the space his slayer had occupied. A great blade protruded from its head, glimmering in the gloom. However, there was one thing he had not believed would be there. Encased in a pyramidal forcefield was a trio of golden triangles, each as high as his waist. The Triforce, the power left by the Golden Goddesses when they departed the world, capable of granting any wish, was _here_. Suddenly, there was a hand on Link's shoulder. He spun around, startled.

"You should not be here." said the man in blue armour.

"You have the Triforce. With that, I could-"

"No! It is needed for... other things. There is a great battle coming between good and evil. Its power cannot be squandered now."

"What do you mean squandered? It's the Triforce! It contains a nigh infinite amount of magical energy!"

"The Lifesong Orb will work just as well. It is time you resumed your quest for it. Do not return empty-handed."

Link suddenly found himself standing in Vesomdel. He shivered, but not from the cold. Maybe the Triforce really was needed for something else. Maybe he really did have to get the Lifesong Orb to save the Great Sea. Maybe there was a great battle between good and evil coming.

The trouble is, he didn't know which side his new ally was on.

* * *

_Comment: So now we see why the Hero of Winds is so keen on obtaining the Lifesong Orb. That new land is really important to him._

_Also, the following all chapters: if I don't adress a question I recieve in a review, it's probably because you're talking about portions of the plot I'd rather not talk about until they happen. Either you're right and I don't want to draw attention to it, you're wrong but I don't want to say no to the possiblity, or you've found something I want people to think is genuine information about the future but was really thrown in to misguide both the readers and the characters.  
_


	10. Phasmatis

_Yeah, it's been awhile. No time to comment now, but there's a few reasons for the delay other than laziness. Also, the music index in my deviantArt scraps has updated as well.

* * *

_

**Phasmatis**

_Your tears are all the pay I'll ever need._

_-Voltaire, _When You're Evil

In the heart of the Blackspine Mountains, there stands a tower. Raised from the summit of the tallest peak by a spirit of destruction, it keeps its dark vigil in total silence. Between the broken cliffs that surround it and the deadly traps within, the fortress is nigh impregnable. Certainly, its creator feels that none could possibly reach his inner sanctum, the very heart of his dark designs. He strides arrogantly down the hall of black marble, drawing nearer to the great iron portal at the end. Beyond its face, its skeletal emblem surrounded by arcane runes and glyphs of warding, lies the very edge of creation itself: the gap between dimensions. There, on a platform floating in the literal middle of nowhere, is where we shall hear from our villain at last.

Music: Essence of Lime, Tombstone Factory

* * *

Farore, the Oracle of Change, was incredibly bored. Even sorting through the secret files in the Maku Tree had not been nearly as boring as being held absolutely still in a giant emerald hovering in some would-be overlord's chunk of the gap between dimensions. Admittedly, the sheer vastness of the emptiness around her had been awe-inspiring for the first five minutes or so, but after awhile gazing into the abyss began to lose its thrill. With her magic safely sealed and the sun in another universe, she had no way of telling exactly how long she'd been held captive, but it felt like years had passed since she was first taken there. Given how little she'd actually seen of her captor, it seemed to her as if his plan was to wait until she was so board she'd let down her defences on the off chance he'd let her have a deck of cards. Frighteningly enough, she felt that it was almost working; just about any attempt to force her to give up her powers would be a nice change of pace.

The instant this thought crossed her mind, the grand iron door slowly eased open with a creak. Behind it, dressed in his omnipresent red and purple armour, his black cloak trailing behind him, was Phasmatis. So far, Farore wasn't too impressed with him. Sure, he'd caught her by surprise, but his plans really weren't all that original. Still, she had to admit that he knew _exactly _how to make a proper dramatic entrance. She knew as well as he did that the only reason he suspended air in the void was so that she could hear the portal's ominous groan. She slowly looked up to stare into his eyes as he casually placed himself midway between her crystal and the entrance.

"So, you've come at last" she said as the door closed of its own accord, isolating the two in the void.

"Indeed."

"I suppose this is the part where you simply ask me to give up my magical energy?"

"It would simplify the matter greatly."

"There's nothing left for me to give. You've taken it all already."

"Hmph. You lie. What I have stolen is the barest fraction of your power. It is sufficient to empower a few minions and twist the forms of a few mortals, but it pales in comparison to your true continent-shaping potential. _That_ is the power I seek."

"You know I can't let you have that."

"And you know that, in the long run, you are powerless to stop me. You are trapped in a crystal in the gap between dimensions. You cannot cast even the simplest of cantrips without removing the locks you have placed keep me away from it. Even if you break free, you will never escape the void unaided. My victory is inevitable."

"Re-really?" asked Farore, stifling a giggle. "You honestly think that simply locking me up is enough to succeed? And here I thought you might be a _competent _villain!"

"Could an incompetent fool have gotten the better of you, the most secretive of the Oracles?" questioned Phasmatis, his yellow eyes momentarily burning brighter. "Could an idiot have tracked your movements and discovered your disguise? Could a powerless pretender have bound you so?"

"Well, you _did_ manage to catch me off guard, I'll give you that one, but if you thought you could have taken the world without me you'd have tried and failed already. You're no match for a genuine Hero and you know it."

"You seem to be forgetting that upstart I easily disintegrated soon after capturing you."

"I said that _you_ are no match for a Hero, not the most power channelled directly through the Oracle of Change in ages is no match for a Hero. However, you can't do that without _me_, and you won't risk something like that again until you can be certain there is no way for me hijack your spell, will you? Of course you won't. Therefore, all I have to do is sit tight until my namesake sends her champion to set me free. All I need to thwart your plans is a little patience."

A low growl escaped Phasmatis's throat as he drew closer to the Oracle. For a moment, the two simply glared at each other in silence. Finally, Phasmatis spoke.

Music: Zelda Reorchestrated, Minish Cap, Royal Valley

* * *

"Patience. If that is your only weapon, then abandon all hope, for there are none among the living or the dead who could presume to outdo _me_ at _patience_. From the dawn of creation I lurked in the darkness, a formless spirit of malice waiting to enter this world. For millenia I cast my hungry gaze upon this planet, the source of the light I seek to consume. However, the light was too great for me to touch directly. Without a material shell to protect me, my essence would have been burned away, and so I waited, a whisper in the wind audible only to those whose ambitions mirrored my own.

"Finally, there came a man who heeded my words. He was a sorcerer of the desert people who heard my voice in the gentle breezes of Hyrule. I spoke to him of power and revenge, and gave to him the dark secrets of the void. Never did this foolish man who presumed himself the King of Evil think that the magics he wielded could be anything but his own insight, and when the time came for him to capture the great temples through which the powers of light flowed, he cast the spell that allowed me to incarnate, binding shapeless terror into a phantasmal image of his own form. Wreathed in a cloak of shadows, I was free to feast at last.

"My summoner tasked me with conquering the forests of the Kokiri, home of the first of the Seven Sages. I eagerly set about my task, ready to devour the woodland spirits and take their power for my own. Even the Sage of Forest in her own domain was unable to pierce my armour and damage the darkness inside. Drinking deep of the forest's strength, I felt invincible. Perhaps that feeling was the source of my downfall.

"Just when I felt that no earthly force could prevent me from achieving my goal, a lone warrior entered my new dominion. Though he quickly drove my dark minions from the temple, his life energy was too great to pass up. Had I known the true power of that youth and his cursėd blade, I would have fled to gather strength in other lands. As it was, I stood to face him in single combat, my horse and trident against his sword and bow.

"The battle ended quickly. His swift arrows and sharp vision put an end to my phantom steed, and even my mightiest spells were easily repelled by his brilliant blade. Thrice was I knocked down, and thrice was I struck by that shining sword composed of all that was contrary to my nature. My material shell was no match for a weapon such as that, and I was soon defeated. My summoner, disappointed by my performance, finished me off himself, banishing me to the gap between dimensions to dwell upon my failure for all time.

"My exile to the infinite void was long, but it was neither fruitless nor eternal. Even this place was filled with things that flit about the edges of creation – lost souls and banished gods – and I devoured them all. After a mere thousand years, I was ready return to the realms of light and take material form once more, and this time I will not be banished so easily. The Hero of this age has retired to the land of Hyrule, taking the Blade of Evil's Bane with him. No other lives who could possibly assault my mountain stronghold, and once ultimate power over all transitions is mine, even he and your sisters will not be able to stop me. I will consume your world and all that dwell there, and create my own world of shadows where the sun does not shine and the light does not burn to take its place. You think you can outlast me, but you cannot: I have waited for this too long to be defeated now.

Music: Zelda Reorchestrated, A Link to the Past, Rain Scene Soundscape

* * *

Later that night as the first winds of a thunderstorm reached the top of his tower, Phasmatis reflected on his time with the Oracle. The end of the session had gone as poorly as the beginning; even in the face of death the Oracle had played her silly games. In fact, she had been far too confident for his liking. She acted as if she knew something he didn't, something that would be his undoing. She practically gloated about it, and that made him very, very angry. After all, _he_ was the one who had captured _her, _not the other way around!

Still, he had to contemplate the possibility that there was indeed a flaw in his plan. Perhaps he did not have all the time in the world claim her power for his own. If that was the case, he would have to step up his search for a hole his his captives defences, and when he found one, she would pay for her insolence. She would be flipped, flapped, and folded; stretched, squished, and squashed; twisted, transfigured, and transformed. She would dance across his fingers until every fibre of her being begged him to stop, and then he would give her a single moment's respite. She would be given a single, shining moment to think that she had been shown mercy, and then he would consume her in the moment of ultimate despair when she realized the shadow before her did not know the meaning of the word.

Fierce winds whistled in the dead of night; thunder echoed on the mountain peak. Dark clouds loomed over the Blackspines, and atop his ebon throne, the King of Evil smiled.


End file.
